A naval disaster is an event that usually involves a ship or vessels and can involve military action. Due to the nature of sea travel, there is often a significant loss of life.
The term naval disaster can refer to both merchant ships and military naval ships. A marine disaster can cause one or more of the following at the same time;
loss of life
Pollution of the marine environment (in cases of oil spill, bad discharge of materials, sulfur from fuels, etc.)
Disruption of the water ecosystem
economic loss on a large scale
Destruction of property on land (in the port, accidents are not only limited to ships, but also damage the nearest lands)
There have been numerous reported incidents of marine disasters.
RMS Titanic
The British RMS Titanic sank with 1,500 deaths (minimum) in 1912, probably the most famous shipwreck, but not the largest in terms of the number of lives lost.
The sinking of German Wilhelm Gustloff by a Soviet Navy submarine in World War II in January 1945 with nearly 9,400 casualties remains the deadliest naval disaster ever. The loss of the Philippine ferry Doña Paz in 1987, with an estimated 4,386 dead, is the largest peacetime loss ever recorded.
